Colts Add a Center in Phil Costa

Intro: After a quiet day and a half in the Colts free agent world, the team got back into the action on Thursday evening by signing center Phil Costa.

INDIANAPOLIS – No one has to remind Phil Costa of the history undrafted free agents, and in particular centers, have had with the Indianapolis Colts.

Costa, a 2010 undrafted free agent, has started 20 games in his four NFL seasons and he is looking forward to competing for such a position in Indianapolis.

“That’s my mindset with it and the Colts provide a great opportunity for it,” Costa, who mentioned former Colts undrafted center Jeff Saturday, said of competing for a starting spot.

“My entire career from college to now I’ve had that free agent mentality. It’s a great opportunity and I’m excited about it.”

The Colts signed Costa, a 6-3, 302-pound lineman, on Thursday evening after he had spent the afternoon at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center.

In 2011, Costa started all 16 games for the Cowboys.

An ankle injury in 2012 slowed his development and he has played in just six games (three starts) over the last two years.

“Phil is a young, hard-nosed and physical center who has shown he can play at a winning level in our league,” Colts General Manager Ryan Grigson said in a team release. “He will provide strong competition at the center position.”

For the last two seasons, Andrew Luck has taken snaps from three different centers but he is expected to see a new face there in 2014.

Costa is hoping that he can be that guy and play for an organization he holds in high regard.

“From coach Pagano down, they really have a great team mentality,” Costa, who has played all four of his NFL seasons with the Cowboys, said of the Colts. “Being able to play with a quarterback like Andrew Luck and I’ve heard from some of the o-linemen that have been here, it’s a great opportunity and I’m excited about it.”

As Costa left the Colts complex on Thursday night, he was hoping to get his hands on the offensive playbook with offseason workouts beginning in just over a month.

The Colts have an opening at the center position and Costa wants to be well prepared to be in the mix come August.

“Most guys who are free agents have a certain work ethic,” Costa said. “The mentality that you’re coming to work every single day and that was the mindset instilled from all the coaches here. They are about championships. They are about coming every day and preparing to win.”

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